Picking a club: Have an open mind, do your research, have a list of priorities
Tuesday, September 28th, 2021
By Josh Price
Badger Region Board Member
Something new and different can be very scary. Even if you are an average, well-adjusted adult.
Now, think about having to embark on a brand-new experience, and being a pre-teen or teenage girl or boy. It is frightening. Maybe even downright terrifying. This becomes a reality for some as they start out their journey into club volleyball. So, what are you to do as a new “club parent” to try and help your child to manage this situation?
At the most recent Club Open House that the Badger Region put together, I was lucky enough to attend and spend some time in the Badger Region booth. We fielded questions from parents and players of all ages and experience levels regarding many different topics. During this time, a couple of things became very clear regarding how people handle and look at club volleyball tryouts, so I wanted to try and help out as much as possible for those who are coming at this for the first time.
First thing I would say to everyone would be to have an open mind. There are a lot of things you hear about club volleyball and club sports in general — both positive and negative. Some of them are true, but there are also things that really get blown up and exaggerated. Everyone’s experience is different and if you approach the process with and open mind and are ready to listen and learn, that will go a long way in starting to create a really positive experience for your daughter or son.
Now that you have that open mindset, you will need to create a plan for yourself. Even if you do not know anything about club volleyball, you do know yourself, your family and your child. Put together an outline for yourself about what you might be looking for or interested in. There are a number of components that go into playing a club sport. How much time do you have available? Is your child involved in other activities, sports, school, community, church, or otherwise? How long of season do you want to play? How much if any traveling do you want to do with your team? Is the practice time and location important to you? What sort of budget considerations do you have regarding payments for the club fees? These all might change along the way. However, if you are able to put a sketch of what you are looking for together first then the experience for you, your family, and most importantly your child will be a bit more positive.
The next step I would encourage everyone to take would be to spend a bit of time and do some research. Clubs promote their programs in a number of different ways. There is information available on websites and via social media from clubs. Clubs also will have tune ups and open gyms prior to tryouts. This is a great way for people to find out about clubs. Players and parents can get a feel for what a certain club is like in the gym and also ask questions of directors and coaches who will be at these events. The Badger Region website has information and links to clubs all around the state. The Region also hosts a number of Open Houses in the Fall leading up to tryouts to help clubs get information out to people. This research allows you to find out all sorts of information about clubs, the programs they offer, their facilities, their coaches, their philosophies, rules, uniforms, and apparel, etc. etc.
Finding the right club can be a tough process, and we have not even talked about much in the way of anything on the volleyball court. That part is something as a parent you can help your child prepare for physically and mentally, but this work you can do prior to tryouts is so crucial. If you keep an open mind, plan for yourself of what you are looking for, and then research the club options you have, it can go a long way to try and find the best fit for you and your family. The ultimate goal should be to find the best fit for your daughter or son, and your family. You want to have the best experience possible and make it a positive thing that you come back for year after year.
